A GUIDE TO . CULTURE AND FAITHS IN OXFORDSHIRE Alternative formats of this publication are available on request. These include other languages, large print, Braille, audiocassette, computer disk or email. A Guide to Culture, Diversity and Faiths in Oxfordshire March 2005 “Promoting Equality Corporate Strategies Team [email protected] and Social Inclusion” 100% recycled paper Printed with vegetable based inks Printed by: Oxfordshire County Council’s Design & Print Unit Tel:(01865) 815672 - Fax: (01865) 204309 F085-01 (02/05) Contents Item Page General Information 3 Identifying People by their Ethnic Origin 4 Self-classification of Ethnic Origin 6 People & Communities 7 African People 8 African/Caribbean People 11 Chinese People 13 Eastern European People 16 Gypsies & Travellers 19 South Asian People 24 Refugees and Asylum Seekers 27 Faiths 33 Bahá’í 34 Buddhism 38 Christianity 42 Hinduism 48 Islam 53 Judaism 60 Rastafarianism 66 Sikhism 70 Zoroastrianism 75 Other Information 79 Frequently Asked Questions 80 Cross-Cultural Communication 84 Acknowledgments 85 © Oxfordshire County Council 2005-2006 1 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire 2 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire GENERAL INFORMATION 3 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire Ethnic Origin The County Council has adopted the ethnic and religious belief categories from the 2001 Census in order to be able to make direct comparisons with Census output data. These are: White, mixed, Asian or Asian British, Black British and Chinese and other. Religious categories are Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Other, No religion and Religion not stated. Classifying people according to their ethnic origin provides information that is required by many organisations (including Oxfordshire County Council) for various monitoring roles. If you are asked to provide such information and are unsure how an individual or group may wish to be identified, then ask them if possible. The terms mentioned below can only be regarded as general guidelines, and are always subject to an individual’s own preferences. African This is used to describe Black people from Africa, but again, individuals often prefer to identify with their country of origin and will use Nigerian, Somali, etc. African/Caribbean This is often used as a general term to describe Black people from the Caribbean Islands, and as such is not wrong. However, people often prefer to identify with their island of origin, e.g. Jamaican, Barbadian etc. Afro-Caribbean is used less and is gradually being replaced by African/Caribbean. Likewise, the term West Indian is a historical term that is not considered appropriate unless it is used as a title e.g. West Indies Cricket Team. Asian This is a general term, and although not unacceptable, is very imprecise. It is far more acceptable to the people concerned, to be identified in terms of their nationality/region/religion, e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Mauritian, or Bengali, or Sikh, Hindu etc. Although terms such as South Asian or South Eastern Asian are sometimes used, many people may not be clear as to what is meant. Again, it is better to refer to people by their country of origin, such as Vietnamese, Malaysian, etc. By doing so, you are likely to reduce the risk of causing offence. 4 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire Ethnic Origin Black Under the Commission for Racial Equality guidelines, the term Black refers to African or African/Caribbean people. Black British Although this is often seen on official documentation, when racial identity is an issue, people in general (particularly young people) will refer to themselves as Black. Many people in South Wales will now classify themselves as Black Welsh, for example. British This term is about citizenship, and doesn’t directly relate to ethnic or racial origin. Nearly everyone born in Britain has British citizenship, regardless of colour or ethnicity. The term should not be used as a synonym for White. Coloured This is not usually an acceptable term, and many people find it offensive. Although it was in common usage some years ago, it is now used less often, and has generally been replaced by the term Black. Non-White Many people may find this term deeply offensive, as its origins relate to apartheid. The term should be avoided. Half-Caste The use of the term half-caste was widely used until recent times. It is now regarded as offensive by many people due to its origins within the Hindu Caste System, in which being half-caste (and therefore less than whole) could mean social exclusion for the individual concerned. When applied to people of mixed race in this country the term implies a missing or unacceptable half and tends to be used in a derogatory way. 5 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire Self-classification of Ethnic Origin When dealing with people from any community their own self- classification of ethnic origin is important and should be recorded according to their wishes. Where the self-classification may be perceived by others as derogatory, particularly in written statements, it is recommended that clarification is added in brackets e.g. half-caste (mixed race/parentage), or coloured (Black). Minority Ethnic Communities/Minority Ethnic These terms are widely used and generally accepted in the broadest term to encompass all those groups who see themselves as distinct from the majority in terms of cultural or ethnic identity, and not just Black or visible minorities. Ethnics as a term on its own is not acceptable. The word immigrants should not be used as a general term, but may be used in a strict technical sense. Mixed Race This term is generally acceptable, but can sometimes have negative connotations. An alternative is mixed parentage. The term multi-racial may also be used, for example as in reference to a multi-racial household, and the term mixed cultural heritage is increasingly used in educational circles. 6 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES 7 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire African People Introduction To The Community Covering about 22 percent of the world’s total land area and having 54 countries, Africa is the world’s second largest continent, with an enormous variety and diversity of languages, cultures, people and religions. This section refers to some of the groups who have migrated from Africa to areas of the UK. Nigerians and Ghanaians are the two largest groups of people from West Africa. Nigeria has one of the largest populations in Africa, estimated at over 120 million in 2000 and there are more than 250 ethnic groups. Although English is the official language many Nigerians are not fluent in English, and are likely to speak Hausa, Yoruba, and Ibo. They are likely to be either Muslims or Christian. Almost all Ghanaians belong to one of about 100 Black African ethnic groups, each with its own cultural heritage. English is still the official language of Ghana and is used in schools, business, and government. English is also the language used to communicate between ethnic groups. Twi, an Akan language with many dialects, is spoken by about 40 percent of the population. Mole-Dagbani, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe and Hausa are also spoken. As a result, most Ghanaians are at least bilingual. Traditional African beliefs are held by many and play an important role in the lives of the people of Ghana, whilst the majority of other Ghanaians are either Muslims or Christian. Somalia is a country in the Horn of Africa that has been occupied by the Somali people for over 1,000 years and more than 95 percent of the Somali population is composed of a single ethnic group. Somali, the official language, is spoken by almost all Somalis and belongs to the Cushitic family of languages. Nearly all Somalis are Sunni Muslim. There are approximately 60,000 Somalis in the UK, who tend to be either the established Somali community of sailors and their families or the more recent asylum seekers and refugees (many of whom have arrived in Britain from refugee camps). Language Africa is a huge continent with many ex-colonial countries. For many people, English may not be the spoken language of their community. 8 A Guide to Culture and Faiths in Oxfordshire African People Beliefs Many Africans are of the Christian faith, although the majority of people from northern Nigeria follow the faith of Islam, as do smaller numbers of people from Morocco and Algeria (North Africa), Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. People from East Africa are predominantly of the Christian faith, most Somalis are Muslim. Names Religion and colonialism have transformed traditional African naming practices. Many people across Africa have adopted Christian or Muslim personal names. Administrative requirements have led to the introduction of surnames, usually African style, e.g. Nelson Mandela. Some people however, will have both African personal and family names, e.g. Jomo Kenyatta. Because of these influences most African people in Britain will have a personal, or in some cases two personal names, followed by a family name. Under the West African naming system, women are likely to retain their own names on marriage due to their importance in property ownership, trade, ancestry and inheritance often following the female line. Because of this, husbands and wives may not necessarily have any names in common. Also, many West Africans have at least four personal names, which may include a Christian or Muslim name, a name given after a relative or friend, a birth order name and a day name. A Somali name will consist of a first name, followed by the father’s name, then that of the grandfather.